Red Robin
by MademoiselleSilver
Summary: Robin has an unwanted suitor. Who is he? None other than Red X. How did that happen? SLASH!
1. An Unexpected Declaration

Oh… My… God. I am writing a Teen Titans slash fic. OH, HAPPY DAY! TwT I've had this saved on my computer for about a year now and never got round to submitting it. Teehee. X3 You guys get a new chapter of The Left Hand of God and a new story on the same day! What a great Christmas! Anyways, I always thought that Robin and Red X would make a cute couple. That, and having Robin angst over falling for a bad guy is fun because he's so into self-righteousness it's kinda silly. Also mentions of SpeedyxAqualad established relationship.

Merry Christmas:P

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**Red Robin**

**Chapter 1: Unexpected Confession**

Titans Tower had all lights dimmed at 11:00 pm. The only glimmer was so faint that it could not be seen. It came from inside a room, a flashlight as its source; Robin's room.

The Boy Wonder still couldn't sleep. He had his flashlight on as security, sensing that every shadow was alive and moving, secretly observing him. He had the feeling he was being watched, and after what happened two nights ago, well… one could hardly blame him.

Robin sighed and leaned his head against the bed's board. He was still in his tight spandex uniform, not feeling up to changing. His masked eyes darted every so often to the glass windowpane, as if expecting someone to jump out in front of it.

The ticking of the clock on the nightstand was the only sound in the room. Robin slowly let himself be lulled by it. He had been awake and sitting in bed for nearly an hour, and exhaustion was finally getting the better of him. He felt his eyelids droop and did not fight it. His gloved fingers slowly loosened, letting the flashlight slip inch by inch. His head lolled to the side as his mouth was left slightly open. The flashlight slid quickly out of his slack grip and fell to the carpeted floor with a thunk.

"Ah!" Robin stood bolt upright, the loud noise having alerted him. It wasn't the dull thud of the flashlight that had woken him up. No, it was something louder and muffled. He peered cautiously out the window and felt his breath catch. He was there, garbed in that tight black outfit marked by a red crossed slash across his chest, the skull-like mask hiding his expression.

"Red X," Robin hissed. His hands tightened into fists as he stood up, getting into a battle stance.

The lithe young thief was pressed against the glass, thanks to one of the wonderful microscopic stick-on caps that Robin had added as one of the suit's features. He pressed his palm against the glass, the red cross beginning to glow. Robin jumped out of the way just in time as his window cracked and blast apart, sending shards flying everywhere. Robin covered his face with his arms and looked up once the sound of tinkling glass had stopped.

"What do you want?" he growled, getting his body into battle mode once again.

Red X slipped into his room, careful not to step on the glass and stood upright. He was slightly taller than Robin, but not by much. He took a few steps closer to the Teen Titan, who backed away, holding his fists up threateningly.

"You know I don't want to fight you, kid," the thief said in a low voice, the kind of voice that made Robin shiver, even if he didn't want to.

"You're sick," Robin said through gritted teeth, not letting his tense body relax for a second.

"Now, look, kid. Why are you acting as if I'm going to attack you?" the sensual voice now had a slight hint of annoyance. Red X placed a hand on his hip.

"Because I know you're lying. This is just a trick to try and confuse me!" Robin yelled furiously.

Red X sighed. It sounded strange coming through that mask. "You know I don't care about destroying the Titans or taking over Jump City. And you also know attacking you is the last thing I want to do."

"How do I know you're not lying?" Robin hissed. He was getting tired of these mind games.

Red X came a bit closer and Robin backed away again, but his legs hit the edge of the bed and he fell backwards on his mattress with a cry. He sat up quickly, but Red X was already on the bed as well, his arms snaking around Robin's body like dangerous coils. Robin felt paralyzed. He willed his body to move, to do anything, but it wouldn't listen at a time he desperately needed it to.

"What can I do to prove I'm not lying?" the thief whispered.

"There's nothing you can do," Robin spat out, "Nothing."

Red X lowered his head, so close that Robin could hear his breathing through the mask. He felt his face involuntarily redden at the close contact between their bodies. Red X's face cocked to the side slightly. Robin had the feeling he was grinning behind that mask because of his blush. He felt like killing him right now.

"My offer still stands, you know," he murmured.

Robin's eyes widened. The memory from two nights ago came flooding back into his mind.

_He hadn't been expecting it. Sure, he knew that some villain or other might try a surprise attack on Titans Tower in the middle of the night, but he certainly hadn't expected him. And not with the reason he had in mind._

_Red X had crashed through his window, sending Robin into panic alarm mode, leaping from his bed and tackling him to the ground. They had rolled around on the floor for a bit, until Red X got the advantage and had the Boy Wonder pinned down underneath him. Robin was ready to struggle until the grip on him was released and he was able to sit up. The thief was staring at him, kneeling in front of him._

_"What do you want?" Robin growled._

_Red X didn't answer right away. He merely continued to stare at Robin._

_"What do you want?" Robin repeated pointedly._

_He had expected a blow from the other boy, and certainly not a gentle touch to his cheek._

_"Wha –?" Robin froze at the soft contact. He gaped at Red X, who continued to stroke his cheek. This was not normal. What was he doing? The strange beating of his heart was loud and fast. His face became hot._

_"You know," the thief finally spoke, "I stole your suit because you wore it. Because I knew your body was in it. And for its usefulness too, of course," he added, the smirk evident in his voice. "I guess I really am selfish. I stole that suit because I didn't want anyone else wearing it."_

_Robin's mouth was open in shock. The feeling of the still stroking hand was all he could feel and Red X's words were all he could hear. He was somehow transfixed. He was also terrified beyond his wits by what was happening. Sure, he and Red X had worked together to bring down Chang and he wasn't an evil villain, but was that enough to be caressing his cheek like this?_

_"I was wandering around the city roofs tonight, brooding as I always do. And I finally decided I wasn't going to hide it anymore."_

_Robin's unused voice let out a strange gurgle and he quickly cleared it. He spoke slowly, as though unsure of himself, "Hide what?"_

_Red X ceased stroking his cheek and lowered his hand, leaving Robin's face to feel oddly cold. It grasped onto Robin's arm instead, holding it tightly. "Hide the fact that I, a low-life thief as you think of me, am in love with you."_

_"WHAT?!" Robin fell backwards in shock, the words ringing in his ears as if he had been banged on the head. "You what?!"_

_"I said I love you."_

_Robin sat up, panting hard. This wasn't happening, it couldn't be… "No… This is some kind of sick joke, isn't it?"_

_"I don't do jokes at one in the morning," Red X sighed, "I'm being dead serious, unfortunately."_

_Robin shook his head, screaming denial from every fiber of his being. "You can't be serious. You're… you…" He couldn't even find the words. This was getting ridiculous._

_"Oh, I am serious. And I'm sick of hiding it. I'm sick of seeing you every time and knowing you think of me as nothing but a dirty thief! I'm sick of thinking of you every night, knowing you never even give a thought about me! Do you hear me?" Red X's voice had become dangerously loud that Robin expected the other Titans to wake up and come speeding into his room. But did he really want them to know about this?_

_"No... This is a trick! I know it is!" Robin yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at him._

_Red X sighed. "I knew this stubbornness of yours wouldn't make this easy. Look, I'm pouring my heart out here, mind giving me some slack?"_

_Robin narrowed his eyes. "I doubt you have a heart."_

_"Oh, please. No clichés," Red X said, "Listen. Let me make you an offer."_

_Robin tensed as the thief approached again, and watched with wide eyes as he slipped his mask up, revealing the lower part of his face. Robin's mind betrayed him as he stared at those lips and found them to be quite attractive._

_Red X brought those nice lips to his ear, sending an unwilling tremor through the Boy Wonder's body. "Let me take you out one night, just one. Let me show you how much I love you."_

_Robin turned his face to meet the thief's face, actually surprised he got the privilege of seeing a part of his face._

_"You mean a date?"_

_Those handsome lips curved upwards into a grin. "Yeah, you could call it a date."_

_"Forget it!" Robin stood up suddenly, "You can't be trusted."_

_Red X stood up, rearranging his mask to cover his face again. "I didn't expect you to accept anyway. But know this, Robin…" He grabbed the Titan suddenly and pressed the side of his mask against the other's cheek, "I'm not giving up on you. Not by a long shot."_

_And with the swish of a dark cape, he was gone, leaving Robin slumped on the floor, completely flustered and confused._

Robin was brought back to the present, glaring at the thief through his mask. "I'm not going anywhere with you. It's a trap and I know it."

Red X dropped his hold on him and backed away towards the window. "You're making this a challenge, kid," he said, "But I always love a good challenge. It's what makes stealing things so fun."

He jumped out, but not before adding, "And you are definitely worth the challenge."

The Titans were shocked to find Robin's window broken… again. It was the second time it had happened in two days. The first time it had happened, Robin told them it had been a Frisbee.

"What time did you say this happened?" Beast Boy had asked suspiciously.

"Eleven pm," Robin lied.

"And you didn't tell us earlier because…?"

"Because you were all asleep and I didn't want to bother you."

"But Robin!" Starfire zoomed close, looking worried, "It could be very dangerous to leave your window broken at night!"

"Nothing happened, Star, it's OK," Robin said to comfort the anxious Tamaranian.

"So what happened this time?" Cyborg asked.

"Same Frisbee," Robin said quickly, "Someone must be playing at night or something."

"Man, we gotta get you something more solid than glass," Cyborg muttered.

Raven covered the shards with her telekinetic black aura and hovered them out of the room while Cyborg went to work on fixing the window.

"Thanks, guys," Robin said as he left to let them work in peace. He entered the living room and flopped down on the sofa, letting out a loud sigh.

"Robin? Is everything alright?" Starfire's voice drifted into the room.

Robin smiled slightly. Starfire's genuine concern was always endearing. There was a time when he thought he had a crush on her, but now, what with the situation with Red X and everything…

He mentally slapped himself. How could he think about Red X? The guy was obviously lying to hide some twisted plan of his. His feelings for Robin were nothing but a trick. How could someone as selfish as him love another, anyway?

Starfire sat next to him, her wide green eyes peering at him. "You seem… troubled."

Robin let out a small chuckle. "I guess that happens when your window is broken twice in a row in the middle of the night."

"Then… Everything is alright?" she asked.

Robin smiled. "Yeah," he said, deciding to push his thoughts of Red X aside for a moment.

Starfire smiled widely. "Then perhaps you shall partake in a video game? Beast Boy has recently purchased one called Zombie Blasters and I would very much like to try it!"

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Have you noticed all my stories start out with unrequited love? It's kind of funny, heh heh. X3 Happy Holidays to all! 3

MademoiselleSilver


	2. Rescuer

**I don't update as often as I should, I realize. I know I have my older stories that I haven't updated forever that I should. I just can't do anything in order! " Hopefully you guys will like this new chapter of Red Robin. Thank you to those who reviewed this! It means so much!

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**Chapter 2: Rescuer**

Bubbles of color floated around amidst white-winged porcelain balls carrying trinkets of oddity. And just as the silver stars were about to pop into bursts of happiness –

The buzzing alarm flashing red woke him abruptly from his dream. Robin leaped off his bed and ran into the living room, screeching to a halt in front of their giant monitor screen.

"Who is it?!" he asked urgently.

"Control Freak raiding another video shop," Cyborg reported, metal fingers flying furiously over the control panel.

"That is so lame," Beast Boy commented, "At least last time he trapped us in the TV. But raiding a video shop? Dude, he's getting desperate!"

"It doesn't matter. He must be stopped. Titans, move out!" Robin whirled around, yellow cape flying behind him as the others followed.

Within moments they arrived in front of the largest video store in Jump City: MegaVid with all the best movies ranging from 30s classics all the way to amateur foreign documentaries. If you're looking for it, they have it! But right now, there was an unwanted customer.

Kicking down the door in true Titan fashion, the teen superheroes were met with the scene of Control Freak bringing to life the Werewolf to terrorize the poor clerk ladies.

"For the last time, 'Crying Roses' belongs in the thriller section, not drama!" he cried furiously, "Who does the organization in this place? Ow!"

Control Freak rubbed the back of his head where a tape hit him and turned around to see who the thrower was. He gasped upon seeing his enemies, the Teen Titans.

"Ever though of taking up reading?" Robin quipped.

"Ha ha! Hilarious!" Control Freak sneered, "But you don't want to miss the visuals!"

He pressed a button on his remote control, aiming it at a video in the horror section, and a giant green slime creature reared its hideous self upright, screeching and flailing its jelly-like tentacles.

"Dude! It's the Plutonian monster!" Beast Boy said excitedly, but then his pointy ears drooped in fear. "Oh, wait. That's not good…"

"Titans, GO!" Robin cried, leaping forward with his metal staff.

Starfire began pelting her bolts at the creature, which screamed in annoyance and swatted her to the walls with one of its tentacles like a pesky fly.

Cyborg charged at it with a mighty roar, ready to give it a powerful punch, but the creature's gelatinous structure simply absorbed him into its body.

"Cyborg!" Robin cried, running to help his struggling friend. He plunged his hands into the creature and grabbed Cyborg's arms, pulling him out. The half-robotic teen fell to his knees, coughing and spluttering.

"Aw, man! That was nasty!" he said, sticking out his tongue.

Meanwhile, Raven flew towards Control Freak, who ran into the comedy aisle, panting with the effort.

"You're not running fast enough!" Raven said, extending her hands towards him. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

The glass containing the emergency fire hose shattered, letting the hose extend forward, snaking its way towards Control Freak, who screamed as he was bound tightly. Raven finished off by tying the hose into a knot.

Robin growled at the creature as Beast Boy went flying and crashed into a video stand. As he ran towards the monster, he never noticed the long tentacle sweeping behind him.

"Robin!" Starfire screamed, throwing a star bolt at the offending tentacle.

Robin felt the explosion behind him but was swept up by something, and gasped. He opened his eyes that had squeezed shut during the blast.

"Wanna thank your knight in shining armor?"

Robin suddenly realized he was being held by a pair of arms and the owner was sporting a skull-like mask with a red cross upon it.

"Red X!"

"Surprise," the thief said, giving Robin's back a little squeeze.

"What are you doing here?" he struggled free from his grasp.

"Well, I thought that with a giant blimp causing a scene, I could rent a movie and slip out unnoticed."

"You mean steal!" Robin narrowed his eyes behind his mask.

"If it makes you feel any better, I dropped the movie I was gonna take to save you," Red X said.

"I don't need saving!" Robin said, picking up his metal staff.

"Is that how you treat your boyfriend?"

"Don't say that –!"

A giant crash resonated throughout the store. The two teens turned around to see Cyborg and Raven lying on the ground, groaning in pain.

Robin cursed his absent-mindedness and ran to help his friends. Red X sighed as he watched him battle the monster vainly. He walked to the still struggling Control Freak and rummaged through his coat pocket, pulling out his remote control.

"Hey!" the couch potato yelled indignantly.

Dropping the remote to the ground, Red X crushed it with his foot.

"NOOOO!"

As the remote's power was destroyed, so were its creations. The Plutonian monster disappeared with a zap.

"Dude, what just happened?" Beast Boy asked, scratching his head.

Robin looked at the control remains on the ground, then up at the thief.

"Red X!" The other titans were surprised to see him there.

"This doesn't redeem you," Robin said.

Red X snapped then, grabbing Robin by his front shirt. "You're being a stubborn little twit, aren't you?" he snarled, "Nothing I ever do will convince you this is real, will it?"

A strange click made him turn around. Cyborg's arm had turned into his laser cannon. "Put-him-down," he said menacingly.

"What do you have to convince Robin of?" Starfire demanded.

Red X released his hold. His stance was rigid, showing his dark mood. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" he snapped before slapping on his belt and phasing out.

"Robin, what was he talking about?" Starfire pleaded, her hands clasped imploringly.

The Boy Wonder was still staring at the spot where Red X had been standing. He walked past a confused Starfire, muttering, "We'd better get Control Freak to jail."

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The team didn't let up when they arrived back at Titans Tower. They hounded on Robin, trying to find out what was going on between him and Red X.

"Nothing is GOING ON!" he burst out, shooting up from the couch. He stormed out and the automatic sliding door shut behind him.

Starfire made to go after him, but Raven stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"No. The more you try to talk to him, the more he'll close up. We must leave him alone."

"But the last time Robin was this secretive…" Starfire began.

"That whole ordeal being Slade's apprentice happened," Cyborg finished for her.

"We have to learn to trust him," Raven said simply, "He'll tell us in time."

The others looked at each other. Raven was good at understanding people, but they couldn't help but worry.

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Later that night, Starfire stood in front of the Boy Wonder's closed bedroom door. She lifted her hand to knock on it, but paused. She lowered it, sighing and closing her arms.

"Robin," she murmured.

Inside the room, Robin lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. He couldn't fall back asleep. He was certain Red X was playing mind games with him. But if so, what did he have to gain from it? What did he have to gain by claiming he loved him? How could he love him? The villain doesn't fall for the hero, that wasn't how things worked.

Robin used to think that there was good and evil. But he knew that the line between them was unclear. How did love fit into all this?

Robin sat up with a sigh of frustration. His jumbled mind was getting him nowhere. He would have to find Red X and figure out what the thief was doing and why.

Sneaking out of his room, Robin crept down the empty hallway and out of Titans Tower. He sped through the streets of Jump City on his motorbike. He had no idea where Red X lingered, but he could search some of the darker, dingier areas. That was where low, dirty thieves hung out and Red X was exactly that. Right?

Screeching to a halt in front of an abandoned parking lot, Robin removed his helmet and ran his gloved fingers through his black hair.

"Looking for me? I knew you couldn't stay away from me for very long."

Robin started, his stance going rigid. A lithe figure jumped in front of him. The familiar skull mask glinted underneath the neon street lamp.

"I wasn't looking for you," Robin muttered resentfully, fists clenched at his sides.

"Really?" Red X came closer, taking his sweet time, "Then why are you wandering around the dark by yourself?"

Robin stammered, his face blooming red. "I… That's… That's not the point! How did you know where I was? Were you following me?" It was easier to accuse his enemy than to admit something he was desperately burying inside himself.

"I wasn't following you." Red X shrugged nonchalantly. "I saw you on your little red riding bike driving through… let's say someplace unbefitting a superhero's style, and decided to make sure you weren't attacked or anything."

"Liar," Robin growled, "I can perfectly take care of myself."

"Doesn't mean I don't want to protect you."

"SHUT UP!" Robin yelled. Red X froze. The Boy Wonder's breathing was harsh as he struggled with his foreign emotions. "Why do you keep saying this?! Why do you… What kind of mind trick are you playing?"

Red X shook his head. "No mind tricks," he said, advancing again, "I'm not one to hide my feelings, Robin."

"Wait…" Robin muttered feverishly, "This… This is like Slade… That's it! Slade put you up to this, didn't he? You're in league with him! I knew you couldn't be trusted!"

"Who's Slade?" Red X said impatiently, "Listen, you. I never asked for these feelings! I've always wanted to meet you, Robin… The famous sidekick of the Batman… You were everywhere! On TVs, on posters, in magazines… Always so heroic, so proud… And I… I was a nobody. I was a thief. Someone you would never want to speak to. But can't you see I'm trying to show you I'm not a super villain?"

Red X paused for breath, his panting muffled by his mask. Robin didn't move; he simply stared at the thief, unable to say anything.

"You once said that I wasn't a psycho; I was just selfish. Stealing is the easiest thing for me and I can't give it up. And you know what? I am selfish. I won't stop until I know you return my feelings. That is selfish I guess, to want you to. But hey, comes with the job."

"I don't understand you," Robin said after a while, "You –"

"Put your hands on me."

"What?"

Red X stared at him levelly – or so it looked like. "Put your hands on me."

Robin bristled. What made the thief think he would comply with something so weird? But before he realized it, his arms were moving up on their own, and suddenly, his palms were flat on Red X's chest.

Robin's breath hitched. What was he doing? For that moment, he was aware only of how hot his body felt, of the beads of cold sweat on his forehead and the pounding in his chest. Red X didn't move. Slowly, hesitantly, Robin's hands moved, tracing the contours of the thief's chest. They made their way up to his shoulders, gloved fingers slightly brushing the black suit. They moved up the neck, trembling slightly. Red X shuddered and sighed, his own fingers twitching at his sides. Robin's fingertips brushed up to the white mask that he had made, the white mask that now covered a mysterious face. They traced over the red cross before sliding down to the edges of the mask. Red X's hands moved up to rest on top of his. Did he think Robin would take the mask off?

"I knew it," he whispered.

Robin swallowed; his mouth had gone dry. "Knew what?" His voice was raspy.

"You do feel something, don't you?" Red X said, "I mean a little more to you than just a petty thief."

"What? No!" Robin pulled away. "You're trying to confuse me!"

"I felt it, Robin. I felt the way you touched me."

"No… No! I was just… curious!"

"It's a start!"

"Leave me alone!" Robin cried. He ran to his bike, slammed his helmet on and sped off.

Red X crossed his arms, satisfied. He did have a chance after all.


	3. Enquiries and Gifts

**Here we go! Chapter 3! Again, sorry for the wait. Now that it's summer, I have more time to write, so hopefully, that means new updates!**

**In this chapter, I introduce SpeedyxAqualad established relationship and Robin goes to them for advice. I think Robin is one who, even though he sees the importance of teamwork, takes on a lot of his personal burdens alone, at least, that's the impression I got from the TV show. He believes villains could redeem themselves, but Red X seems to confuse him and he doesn't know what to think of him in the show, which is what gave me the idea for this fic. A guy who's a thief but saves his life and helps him beat the bad guy, even if it's just to get more xenothium for the suit? Oh-em-gee, is he as bad as he thought?**

**The whole "fire" to Robin's "ice" attitude (as described on Wikipedia) gave me the idea for this pairing. The fact that he's not destroying the world and is just looking out for himself by stealing and his cool ability (not to mention his easy flirty ways, as he attempted with Starfire before she blasted him) make me think he's awesome.**

**Also, since his identity was never revealed nor really hinted at (some have thought him to be Jason Todd, a villain for Batman, though that's never been proven), I figured I would make him an OC. I'd appreciate any thoughts on this.**

**BTW, I suck at chapter titles, so yeah. Also, IF I MADE ANY MISTAKES IN THE SPANISH SENTENCES, PLEASE TELL ME. I haven't taken Spanish in over three years, so I'm kinda rusty. Anyways, enjoy!**

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Chapter 3: Enquiries and Gifts

"Friends! Let us feast on the great pancake extravaganza that Beast Boy and Cyborg have prepared for us!" Starfire happily declared with her arms wide open.

The Titans ambled over to the dining room, the breakfast smell eliciting their senses from any sleepy haze left.

"Y'all ready for Cy's super blueberry butter supreme?" Cyborg said happily, producing a whole plate full of pancakes.

"Dude! I made double strawberry syrup!" Beast Boy shoved Cyborg aside, bringing up his own stack on a plate.

"Aw, man! Nobody wants to eat your lousy cooking!"

"What was that, Tin Man!?"

Robin sat subdued on his chair, ignoring the two bickering friends. Starfire was busy pouring four glasses of orange juice and Raven was sitting next to him.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

Robin started and turned to her. "Fine! Fine!" he said a bit too cheerfully to be believable, "Everything is fine."

Raven raised an eyebrow at him. Robin sighed and hung his head. "OK, everything's not fine." He bit his lip, and Raven knew he was debating whether to talk about it. She waited patiently, not saying a word.

After a minute of internal conflict, Robin asked uncertainly, "Raven… Do you think that… that people who commit crimes are not all that bad?"

"What do you mean?" Raven asked.

"Well, I…" Robin picked at his pancake for a bit, seemingly lost for words. He set his fork down, setting his jaw firmly. "Can criminals love, you think? They're greedy, ruthless, selfish, but can they feel love?"

Raven didn't speak for a moment. She looked down at her plate, picked a bit of pancake and put it in her mouth. Robin grew impatient, but knew better than to rush the sorceress.

"Criminals are human… Well, most of them," she added with a wry smile, "They can feel positive emotions, just as superheroes can feel negative ones. Look at Terra. Look at Jinx. Hasn't she proven that even villains can be inclined to do good to a certain amount?" Raven look at him with her most serious face, which – as it was Raven – was very intimidating. "Love leaves no one out of its spell," she said, "No one. It's an emotion that can come to anybody. Whether that emotion will have positive or negative effects is impossible to say at times."

Robin nodded. What she said made sense; he would have to modify his black-and-white view on good and evil. He remembered that quick dialog he had had with Red X right after he had saved him from Professor Chang's evil ray.

_"I thought you didn't like to play the hero."_

_"Doesn't mean I don't know how."_

"Robin… Why are you asking this?"

"Uh…" Great, he was flustered again. "I… I'm just confused, Raven. About a lot of things."

Raven stared at him. Robin wondered fleetingly if she could read his mind and tried to keep it blank. He couldn't, however, control his erratic heartbeat.

"I know you are," she said at last, "You've been acting strange lately. Just remember that whatever it is, you can talk to me about it." She gave a rare little smile, which he gratefully returned. Raven truly was the wisest of them all.

Now, Robin had a little trip to make, which required him to go alone.

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After breakfast, the Titans went shopping, as chores were to be done. That tower didn't run itself, after all. Starfire went grocery shopping with Raven, who had to make sure she bought the right ingredients and didn't mistake detergent for milk again. Beast Boy went with Cyborg to buy new parts needed to fix or upgrade various items or weapons (and also to splurge on new video games), which left Robin with nothing else to do but mutter something about buying new material for his costume.

Robin let the others leave first, and hurried into the Titans' spaceship, detaching himself from the main ship into a separate pod and flying out into the sky. He sped off to the other coast, going somewhere far different from what his teammates believed.

Soon, the tall building of the Titans East headquarters appeared. He landed the ship on top of the building and quickly climbed out. He hoped they weren't out at the moment.

Robin entered the building, easily gaining access to the door's security codes. The Titans each had access to the others' tower for emergency and convenience reasons. As Robin emerged from the elevator to the main floor of the tower, he saw two white blurs for the briefest moment before he felt his legs being tackled and he fell to the ground with an 'Oof!'.

"Señor Robin!" two voices happily said in unison.

Robin looked down at the white-clad twins of speed, each clinging on to one of his legs.

"Más and Menos!" he said, chuckling, "Good to see you guys!"

They released him and he stood up, dusting himself off. "Are Speedy and Aqualad here?" he asked.

"Si! Si! Están en el salón!" they replied.

"Uh… Where?" Robin scratched his head. Más and Menos each took one of his hands and eagerly dragged him off. They slipped through one of the many automatic sliding doors and entered the living room.

Robin found the two Titans he was looking for sitting on the sofa. Or rather, Speedy was sitting on the sofa, his legs crossed and propped on the table in front of him and Aqualad was sitting on his lap. Más and Menos left him to go back to whatever they had been doing before his arrival. The Boy Wonder walked up to the two who were currently munching on corn chips and watching a movie on the giant plasma screen in front of them.

"Hey guys," he said, waving.

"Robin, what's up?" Speedy greeted him. "Coming to visit your comrades-in-arms?"

"Long time no see," Aqualad said with a smile.

"Where's Bumblebee?" Robin asked, looking around.

"In her room, doing leader stuff," Speedy waved a hand nonchalantly, using the other to stuff his mouth with corn chips. "Or sending an e-mail to Cyborg, but totally denying that she's got a cru-ush."

"So, any particular reason why you're here?" Aqualad asked, unconsciously brushing crumbs off Speedy's shirt. He was a natural neat freak.

Robin smirked. It had been a bit of a surprise for everybody when Speedy and Aqualad had officially become a couple. They seemed to be very happy together.

"I just wanted to ask you guys something personal, so… I understand if you'd rather not."

The two looked at each other, and then looked back at him expectantly. "What is it?"

Robin took a deep breath, deciding to take the plunge. "How did you two – I mean, how did you know you loved each other?"

The couple stared at him blankly. "What do you want to know?" Speedy asked, "The part where your stomach gets butterflies whenever you're near them, your heart beats so loud, you can't get them out of your head, you feel weak, you think they're totally hot, you want to kiss them, you – " he was silenced by Aqualad's hand over his mouth.

"Get all that, Robin?" he said, smirking.

Robbin nodded slowly. "Yeah… That's not exactly what I was… Uh…"

"You just know," Aqualad said, "You know when you finally admit it to yourself, regardless of what anyone else says or thinks and when you can pinpoint your feelings to that one person. I can't really give you a step-by-step explanation. It's different for everyone."

"Why do you ask?" Speedy grinned cheekily, "Is it about Starfire?"

Robin's face became red. Oh, his little crush on Starfire had been completely forgotten under Red X's attentions.

"No, actually. The reason I came to you is because… it's just – there's this guy who says he likes me."

Speedy gaped. "You mean 'like' as in 'LIKE like' you?" then he added hurriedly, "Is he hot?"

Aqualad thwacked his boyfriend over the head before turning back to Robin. "Do you like him back?"

"No!" Robin exclaimed vehemently. He composed himself, not wanting to freak out, and said in a calmer, but no less flustered tone, "No, I… I don't know whether I hate him or I… just don't know what to think."

"Why would you hate him?" Aqualad asked.

Robin turned away, cheeks still warm. "Just… please keep this a secret, OK?" He gave a little sigh. "Let's just say he's not on the better side of justice."

"HOLY COW! Is he a SUPERVILLAIN? Is he a part of the Hive Academy!?" Speedy earned himself another thwack over the head from his boyfriend.

"No, he isn't. He's not a supervillain; he's just a very skilled thief."

"I see. And he says he likes you?" Aqualad frowned. "How do you know he's not setting you up?"

"That's what I thought! I mean, I have no reason to trust him! But then he's saved my life twice and he helped me win Ding Dong Daddy's motorcycle race. I don't know whether he's just setting a trap, or…"

Speedy arched an eyebrow. "Sounds to me like Bird Boy's got unresolved feelings," he whispered in Aqualad's ear.

"Please don't tell anyone," Robin said, "I've only asked for your help because I know you won't rat me out to my team, and I think you two are the ones who'll understand better than anyone else what's happening. I haven't told them because this is a matter between me and this other guy. I need to find out for myself what he's up to."

Robin had learned that keeping things from his team led to disastrous results. But when it came to Red X, Robin still felt burning shame at his reasons for creating that alter ego and betraying his friends. He believed that if he involved his friends in this new matter, another disaster may occur, and he preferred to face this demon alone.

"Don't worry, our lips are sealed," Aqualad said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Thanks," Robin said, relieved. He then asked another question burning in his mind, "How did the rest of the team react to your becoming a couple?"

Speedy shrugged. "Más and Menos were surprised because they never thought of two boys falling in love before, but they seem to be fine with it. And Bumblebee doesn't care as long as it doesn't interfere with missions."

"I see..." Robin drifted off for a bit before turning around. "Thanks for your help, guys. I need to get going. And remember, this is a secret."

"If he's hot, you should totally get with him!" he heard Speedy say as he left the room, followed by an "OW!".

* * *

The nervousness that tingled in his belly slowed considerably as Robin returned to Jump City. Speedy and Aqualad had a loving relationship and everyone seemed to accept them. Then again, they were both superheroes, working on the side of good. Red X was not exactly walking the straight and narrow, so that complicated things. Robin wondered how his team would react if he told them about his criminal male admirer. Would they get angry? Suspicious? How would they react if they actually got together? Not that it would ever happen of course, only theoretically wondering –

"MAAAIIIIL!" Beast Boy's voice echoed loudly in the hallway. Robin walked to the living room where the others were assembled around a stack of envelopes and packages.

"Aw, man! Superheroes shouldn't have to pay this!" Cyborg moaned over the electricity bills, which were definitely not cheap considering the amount of energy it took to run the tower. Thank goodness for Robin's trust fund, courtesy of Bruce Wayne.

Beast Boy was cheerfully diving into a pile of fan mal. "Dude! Check out the cool hat this girl made me!" he placed a rather ugly green hat with fuzz trimming on his head. "It's comfy!"

"And a rather bold fashion statement," Raven muttered.

Amidst the pile of letters lay a small white box left unnoticed by all but Robin, who couldn't ignore the bright red cross on it; a logo he knew all too well and made him break into a sweat. He dove for the box, clamping it down and crashing into the sofa in the process.

"Robin!"

"Are you OK?"

Robin swiveled around, his hands behind his back, clutching the box. "Yeah, I uh, slipped!"

"Whatcha hiding behind your back?" Beast Boy grinned maliciously.

"Is it a present from a secret admirer?" Cyborg chimed in.

Robin saw Starfire's eyes blaze luminous green with jealousy and feared she might blow something up. "No," he said hurriedly, "Uh, it's something from Br – I mean Batman. Something personal."

He zoomed to his room before the others could stop him. Robin cursed to himself, throwing the box on his bed. The thief was causing him a lot of trouble, and he wanted to punch him for it. He hated hiding things from his team; they had gone through enough when _he_ had been Red X. He should just throw the box away and never think of it again. It would be for the best.

Robin slowly lifted the lid off the box and peered inside. A folded note which he took out had been hiding underneath a small keychain of a red robin with its little wings folded. Robin was a bit surprised at the gift; it didn't seem to resemble the thief. He unfolded the note and read it.

_You like to spew out clichés so I thought this would be appropriate._

Robin groaned.

_Yeah, I stole it, but the sales guy left his stand to eat, so he had it coming._

This was Red X's version of being romantic. Robin couldn't believe it; he had received a love token. He should just throw it away. Throw it away and never think of it again. That would be the best thing.

"Robin?"

Panicking, Robin threw the keychain and the box under the covers of his bed and folded the note in his pocket. "What is it?"

Starfire came in, her face creased with worry. "Is everything alright?"

"Fine! Why?" Robin rubbed the back of his neck, trying to look calm.

"I am getting worried about you," she said, "You say that everything is alright, but I know that it is not."

"Star…" Robin began.

"I do not want you to hide things from me again!" she said, looking at him with wide eyes, "You might get hurt or worse! Robin, are you chasing after Slade by yourself again?"

"It's not about Slade this time!" Robin said heatedly.

"I do not want you to hurt yourself, Robin!" she approached him, looking very concerned, and encircled him in her arms. Robin simply held her, unable to form any words of comfort.

* * *

**Hope this chapter is good! Give me your opinions and suggestions! Thank you for reading!**

**MademoiselleSilver**


	4. Broken Reprieve

**Oh God, please don't hate me for my lateness! I know I'm a lazy arse and I don't deny it! I will try and be more productive! That lie being said, er... I mean that being said I hope you guys like this chapter. I made it especially long as an apology. There's one more fight scene in this and then I think I'll take a break with the monsters. I know that half the show is spent fighting monsters but if I had it my way the show would have less monsters and Robin and Red X would become an official couple, dammit!**

**Ahem, anyways summer vacation's going great. Hope this adds to the sunny brightness! (What am I talking about? It's pouring rain here...) Thank you all for your support! It means a lot to me!**

**~ Mademoiselle Silver**

* * *

Chapter 4: Broken Reprieve

A few weeks had passed, and the Titans had been very busy. A strange new villain had emerged, destroying everything in its path. All that was left behind was a black trail of tar-like substance, which gave boils to anyone who had skin contact with it. Beast Boy insisted on naming their mystery criminal Tarman, which of course, was met with a collective groan.

Robin had been so preoccupied with "Tarman" that he had no time to dwell on other things. The little robin keychain was currently hanging over his desk; he hadn't thrown it away because… Well, he felt a little guilty after Starfire had found it underneath the covers, sitting on top of it and felt it poke her butt. He had to lie and say it had been a gift from Bruce, and she happily held it. He had thrown away only the box and the note. Starfire had indirectly made him feel guilty enough to keep the bird. So, the keychain currently out of his mind, Robin and the Titans continued to search for the elusive Tarman.

The last crime scene was downtown by a Chinese takeout. The gooey trail led them as usual down into a sewer hole. Whenever they descended, the trail would suddenly stop at the bottom of the railing. They suspected Tarman would dive into the waters to hide his trail. Cyborg had taken a sample of the strange substance to analyze. He had woken up in the middle of the night literally crying "eureka" after having realized something about the tar's components.

"So… How does this thing work again?" Beast Boy pointed at the small tracking device in Cyborg's hand. "And in English, please."

Cyborg sighed. "The tar leaves small particles behind that disappear after a few days. If I can track them from the water, we can follow the trail."

"Oh. That's cool."

"Come on," Robin said, walking in his giant boots. Cyborg had fabricated HAZMAT suits for all the members, which were meant to be "tar" resistant.

The tracking device beeped, and the Titans continued to walk down the sewers of Jump City. They seemed to be walking forever. The trail was still there, but Tarman had obviously gone farther than they thought.

"Dude!" Beast Boy whined, "I'm hot in this suit, it reeks, we're following a trail of water full of things I don't even want to think about and – whoa."

The Titans stopped dead in their tracks. They had found a side tunnel with walls and ceiling dripping with dangerous tar.

"He must be in there," Robin said.

"Be careful and don't touch the tar if you can help it," Cyborg said, "I don't know how effective these suits are yet."

They examined every corner of the tunnel, ready to strike; but it became obvious that no one was here.

"He must be out wreaking havoc," Robin said, "Maybe some part of the city's being attacked. I'll try to check on my locator."

"Uh, Robin?" Beast Boy squeaked, pointing at the ceiling.

"Not now, Beast Boy," Robin dismissed him, taking out his locator.

"Robin!" the changeling yelped in a higher-pitched voice.

Robin looked up to where he was pointing and froze. The dripping mass on the ceiling had suddenly gained two milky white eyes glaring down at them.

"LOOK OUT!"

The Titans dove out of the way as the goopy mass dropped to the floor and splattered its essence everywhere!

"Groooooossss…" Beast Boy whined, hastily shaking the tar off his boots.

Tarman was nothing but a black writhing mass with white slits for eyes. It slithered towards Starfire and lunged for her face. She quickly shot at it with her star bolts, temporarily incapacitating it.

Raven hovered above it and tried to contain it in her dark sphere, but it burst free. Cyborg and Robin worked together to bring it down by blasting it with lasers and slicing it with a bo staff. Nothing they did slowed the creature down in the slightest.

"A little help would be appreciated!" Cyborg yelled to Beast Boy who ducking from Tarman's extra limbs swiping at him.

"Dude! If my safety suit doesn't fit me the moment I turn into an animal, any contact with that jelly freak will fry me!" he yelled back.

Robin cursed inwardly. Beast Boy was right; they would have to do without his help in this one. He leaped forward and thrust his staff between Tarman's blank eyes. The creature let out a gurgle and opened its new gaping hole, absorbing the staff into it and sucking in Robin's legs in the process.

"Robin!" Starfire swooped down and pulled him out of their enemy's grasp.

Tarman seemingly had enough of being beaten on and quickly slid out of the tunnel, slipping into the waterway. His inky form was still visible as it floated away.

"Follow him!" Robin yelled, starting off. The others followed quickly, running down the dank sewers as fast as they could without slipping.

The black form in the water never left their sight, even as it picked up speed. They were nearing a shaft of light by a ladder; the manhole above was uncovered and workers were preparing to descend. Tarman suddenly leapt out of the waters and slithered up the ladder. As it emerged in downtown Jump City, the workers yelled and jumped back.

"What is it?" one of them screamed fearfully.

Raven and Starfire flew out of the manhole first so as not to lose sight of Tarman. They flew at it and attempted to slow it down with their combined powers. Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy climbed out of the manhole one by one and ran to catch up. Tarman was visibly annoyed at their constant poking and swatted the girls out of the way. Robin ran to catch Starfire as she hurtled out of the sky and Cyborg did the same with Raven. They quickly recovered and were on their feet once more just as Tarman approached for another attack.

"He's got to have a weakness!" Robin cried as he dodged yet another flailing tar limb that quickly fused back into the creature's puddle of a body.

Cyborg was crouched behind a car, re-loading his plasma cannon. "Well then we'd better find it fast!" He leapt up to shoot three more bolts at Tarman and ran to stand next to Beast Boy, who felt quite useless.

"Robin! He's getting away!" Starfire called from above.

Tarman was indeed moving away from them and quickly sliding up the columns of an abandoned parking garage, moving from floor to floor. Robin grit his teeth and quickly followed, leaping from column to floor with acrobatic skill ingrained in him since childhood. Starfire and Raven followed Tarman closely. Cyborg, not being as agile nor possessing the power of flight, ran into the parking garage and went up the stairs.

"Oh, forget this!" Beast Boy morphed into a falcon, quickly digging himself out of his no-longer fitting suit and flew to join his friends.

Tarman stopped climbing at the fourth floor when it realized it was cornered from all sides. Robin ran towards him first, preparing to swipe him with his staff but his foot got caught unsuspected by Tarman's new limb that appeared out of nowhere. He fell on his hands and rebounded onto his feet, still ready to battle. A loud roar made him turn around in alarm. He saw Beast Boy, now turned into a green gorilla, throw a big dumpster at Tarman. The impact was enough to make the creature slide to the edge of the floor and fall off. In its panic, it whipped out a limb and grabbed onto the closest thing: Robin's leg. The Boy Wonder yelled as he was thrown onto his back and painfully dragged to the edge of the garage. He fell down with Tarman, but was quickly rescued by Starfire who threw a star bolt at the limb gripping onto his leg and flying him to safety. Tarman threw out a loud gurgle that could have been interpreted as fear before falling straight into a burning trash can lit by a homeless man, who yelped in surprise as the mysterious entity fell into his fire and sent a shower of sparks.

"Oooh, that's going to last the whole night now!" he said happily as his fire now grew brighter.

Starfire deposited Robin on the parking garage's floor and he took off his suit mask, needing some fresh air.

"Fire?" Beast Boy gesticulated wildly at the spot where Tarman had fallen. "We just needed fire all this time to cream him? Why? Why do we never find out the answers early?"

Cyborg chuckled behind his frustrated friend, which further infuriated Beast Boy. He would have turned around and started an argument, but Robin cut off any further remarks by saying, "Let's go home."

* * *

A man stared a giant screen showing the Titans leaving an abandoned parking garage downtown. His gloved hands drummed lightly on his armchairs and his visible eye focused on Robin.

An elderly man approached him, but did not speak nor did he acknowledge his own presence. His master knew he was right there.

"Wintergreen, we will have to tighten the security in my lab. I'm afraid one of our little experiments escaped before it had been perfected and annihilated of all weaknesses. It's apparently been on the run in Jump City for weeks."

Wintergreen's moustache twitched. If the creature had been loose for weeks then why had his master not retrieved it?

"I know what you're thinking. But really, I can easily restart my experiments and the Titans seemed so eager to catch it. Robin certainly has improved in combat… And what's this?"

He peered at the screen, still depicting the parking garage. The Titans were no longer there but a figure emerged from behind one of the columns. A young male, judging by the lean, muscled build hidden in black. A white mask covered his face with a red cross upon it. He looked left and right and when he was sure the coast was clear, ran from the scene.

"Interesting. I remember that suit. Robin wore it last time." Slade's one eye narrowed. He rested his chin on his hand and turned off the screen with his remote in the other. "I wonder who this new thief is."

* * *

"Man, I'm beat!" Beast Boy yawned and stretched his arms above his head. "It's almost one am! I'm going to surf the net a bit and then hit the sack!"

"I think we all deserve a good night's sleep," Robin said.

"Night y'all!" Cyborg called out before setting up the night security systems and turning off the lights.

While the other Titans may have been drifting off to bed, Robin did not despite his previous statement. He was a light sleeper, and wasn't feeling the least bit tired despite the evening's butt kicking. He felt like taking a night drive around the city, but… He shivered. What if _he_ came to find him?

_Get a grip. You're not going to be afraid to go out alone now, are you?_

Robin made up his mind and left his room. Soon, he was speeding out of Titans Tower on his motorcycle. It felt good to drive around the streets without having to pay attention to where he was going, without having to think about anything.

Jump City was still alive as the nightlife surrounded him. The lights of the bars and nightclubs illuminated the sidewalks as people filtered in and out, drinking and laughing. Robin felt a longing tug at his heart. It had been a while since they had been able to go out and have fun. The last few weeks had been spent tracking down Tarman and designing those protective suits.

He stopped at a red light and turned to look at which nightclub he was next to this time. It was an apparently full dance club, with a lineup that continued around the corner of the sidewalk. Its walls were plastered with a flashy poster that caught Robin's attention.

In bright pink letters, it read 'Costume Bash Wednesday April 4th at 8:00 at the Jump City East District warehouse! With music by DJ Spazz!' It was complete with pictures of masks on either side of the announcement.

Robin lifted an eyebrow at the poster. Well that was certainly different. He looked up the street and saw that the posters were glued to the walls of every building in sight.

Just then, his communicator beeped. He quickly whipped it out and answered curtly, "Robin here. What's the problem?"

"ROBIN!" Beast Boy's excited voice blasted into his ears. "I went to your room to wake you up but you weren't there! Where are you?"

"I just went for a drive in the city," Robin said then urgently asked, "What happened?"

"DUDE! I was surfin' the net and I found out they're having this really cool costume party at the East District warehouse!"

Robin hit his head against the handles of his motorcycle. "Beast Boy," he said as calmly as he could, "Did you call me just for that?"

"Yeah dude! I had to wake everyone up to tell them!" Robin could hear Cyborg in the background going, "I'm gonna kill you!" and Raven muttering what sounded like a string of curses.

"Robin! We gotta go to this thing! It's tomorrow night and it's gonna be so sweet! PLEAAAAAAASE?" Robin could imagine the wide teary eyes Beast Boy was probably making right now.

Starfire's voice now took over: "Oh yes! I think it would be most amusing! It has been a long time since we have… how did Beast Boy put it? 'Gone out chilling'?"

Robin smirked despite himself. And here he had been thinking that they hadn't gone out in a while. "Alright, if you guys really want to. I think it'll be fun too."

Beast Boy let out a whoop. "Alright! This is gonna be AWESOME!"

"Good. Now that we've established that, I'm going to kill you!" Robin heard an 'eep!' and more yelling from Cyborg.

"I'm coming home now. I'll see you guys soon!" Robin turned off his communicator and drove away as the light finally turned green, heading back towards Titans Tower.

Once the motorcycle was out of sight, Red X dropped down from his hiding spot on the other side of the street across from the nightclub. He had seen the crazy tar creature explode from a manhole earlier that evening while he was downtown looking for a bite to eat (as in grabbing a pizza box from a passing delivery motorbike) and was certain the Titans couldn't be far. He had been right when he saw them emerge to fight the creature and damn, Robin was sexy when he was fighting with his staff. He had almost jumped to his rescue when he saw Robin fall but luckily the alien girl had saved him.

He most certainly hadn't expected to see Robin driving around at one in the morning while he was also out. Surely the kid couldn't have been looking for him again? And he accused _him_ of following him around. Well, he didn't do it too often…

And then of course he had listened in on an interesting conversation… something about a costume party. Red X read the same poster that Robin had before and smirked underneath his mask. He had left Robin alone for a while, but now it was time for them to meet again. And maybe they'd get to dance.

* * *

The next evening, the Titans were all dressed up and ready to go to the party. Beast Boy and Cyborg decided to go as an infamous duo and had gotten Peter Pan and Captain Hook costumes. The green outfit blended well with Beast Boy's skin and Cyborg had attached a hook to his robotic arm. Starfire had dressed up as Cleopatra after having been discouraged from going disguised as a 'Snorfblat Digglebung', which sounded worrying. Raven had decided that putting a feather in her hair was costume enough and refused to listen to Beast Boy's complaints, finally threatening to singe his hat if he didn't shut up. Robin had opted for a musketeer costume, very much into the heroic dressing-up. Naturally, he kept his mask on.

The Titans headed to the East District and found the normally empty warehouse (disused due to its age and often used for parties) full of teens heading inside. The opened double doors revealed flashing spotlights from within and blaring music that sent irresistible waves of excitement through Beast Boy.

"I totally just saw some hot chicks dressed like Amazon warriors," he said grinning. He led the way inside and instantly headed for the dance floor. "Let's get down!"

Cyborg and Robin followed suit and the three began to dance. Raven went to a dark corner with other brooders who had evidently been dragged here by more enthusiastic friends.

Robin took Starfire's hand and led her in a spin before showing her some of his other dance moves. She laughed in delight and Robin smiled, happy to see her have so much fun.

A guy dressed as the Phantom of the Opera glided between the pair, complete with a hood that covered his hair. "Mind if I cut in?" he said smoothly.

Robin glared, thinking he was trying to whisk Starfire away from him but was surprised when the guy turned to him instead and took his hand. He heard Starfire gasp behind him as he was led away.

"I missed you, kid." Robin's eyes widened as the familiarity of the voice became clear to him. He looked at the other boy's face; the white mask covered all but the bottom half, revealing thin lips upturned in a smile.

"Red X! Mmmmph!" Robin's cry was muffled by the other's hand against his mouth.

"Sssh! We wouldn't want you to alert your friends. Besides, I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm just here to have a good time. You can't arrest me for that!"

Robin yanked his hand away and wiped his mouth to rid himself of the ghost of Red X's touch. "Then why do you have your utility belt on you?" he spat.

"Same reason as you do. I have to be prepared for anything."

Robin glared at him. He was ready to turn around and walk back to his friends, but Red X grabbed his wrists and held them firmly. He struggled to free himself but the other teen was strong, and he didn't want to make a scene by starting an acrobatic fight.

"Just when I thought this was going to be a fun night," he grumbled.

"Of course it's going to be fun," Red X said, "In fact, the fun's only starting. Now let's dance!"

Robin was trapped as he was held tightly around the waist and was being swayed to the music. He hated to admit it, but Red X was a good dancer; his hips moved suggestively and never hesitated to brush against Robin's midsection, which made him feel all the more homicidal towards the thief. Those thin lips were perpetually grinning and Robin had to resist the urge to punch him in the face. It was then he realized that the holes on Red X's mask where his eyes should have been visible were filmed over with white cloth.

"Why can't I see your eyes?" he demanded.

"Eyes for eyes, Robin," the thief replied, "I won't show you mine until you show me yours."

"Never!"

"We'll see about that. How can I kiss you properly if I don't know what your whole face looks like?"

At the thought of him and Red X kissing, Robin pushed hard against his chest and freed himself. His face was red with both anger and embarrassment and it took all of his willpower to keep calm.

"I've had enough of this!" he yelled over the music. "I'm going and don't you dare come near me for the rest of the night! In fact, why don't you just LEAVE!"

Red X shook his head, his smile still in place. "We're not done here, cutie." He grabbed Robin before he could escape and pulled him against his chest. And then, his hands roamed freely down the Boy Wonder's back, going lower and lower until they caressed his behind. "Wow, you sure do work out."

That was the last straw for Robin. He swung his fist at Red X who quickly ducked and released him in the process. Robin jumped backwards, willing the warmth of his face to disappear. He must have looked as red as a tomato just then.

"I knew it!" he pointed an accusatory finger at Red X, "You just want one thing from me, don't you? It's not love you're feeling, it's lust! You've been lying all along!" A tiny part inside of Robin couldn't help but feel hurt at the new revelation; he had been seen as nothing but a toy.

The smile was now gone from Red X's face. He crossed his arms and let out a frustrated sigh. "Listen kid, if all I wanted from you was sex I would've gotten a substitute. But as it turns out, I do want to do more than just sleep with you."

Robin opened his mouth but Red X quickly cut in, "Yes! I know! You don't believe me! Now just shut up and listen for a change. Geez, you never stop!"

Robin abruptly closed his mouth, too insulted to say anything just then.

"Look, I won't deny that I'm attracted to you but there's more to it than that. I already asked you out and I'm willing to do anything to get you to like me just a little bit more."

"Then how about you end your career as a thief?" Robin said.

Red X uncrossed his arms and let them fall at his sides. "You can't ask me to do that, kid."

"Why not? I thought you said you were willing to do anything."

"Stealing is what I do; what else is there for me?"

"You could always fight crime instead of committing it," Robin suggested.

Red X slapped his forehead in exasperation. "Why couldn't I fall for someone less pigheaded?" he said through clenched teeth, "Like that hot alien chick of yours?"

Robin grabbed him by the collar of his cape and growled threateningly. "You stay away from Starfire, do you hear me?"

Red X smirked, not only at Robin's newly flared temper, but also at their close proximity, which the Boy Wonder had unconsciously created.

"Wow kid, did I just touch a nerve?" he said in an amused tone, "Do you have a little crush or something?"

Robin flushed with embarrassment and pulled away, but Red X grabbed his wrists and dragged him back close to him.

"I've seen the way she hovers around you all the time. And you sure do hang out with her a lot."

Robin glared defiantly. "That's none of your business!"

"Hello, Earth to Robin! Of course it's my business. After all, she can't have you because you're mine."

Robin gaped at him indignantly. "What makes you think I'm – "

"I bet neither of you has ever made a move, huh? I'm pretty sure I've gotten physically closer to you than she has."

Robin grit his teeth, refusing to acknowledge the truth in those words. Sure, there was that one time when Starfire had kissed him, but she had only done that in order to acquire the ability to speak English.

"So, I'm guessing I have a chance, and a very good one too," Red X continued. He leaned in close, so close that their noses were touching. Robin's face went blank and thus he did not even think about struggling free.

They stayed like that for what seemed like hours, neither of them speaking. Robin was beginning to feel pinpricks of apprehension tickling his neck as all he did was stare right back at the thief. He finally gulped and parted his dry lips.

"What?" was all he managed to croak out.

Red X smiled at his boldness. "I won't kiss you until you want me to."

"And that's never going to happen!" Robin finally broke out of his trance and pulled away. He hated himself for falling once again into the thief's trap. He should know better than to go along with these mind games.

"We'll see about that." Red X gave him a two-fingered salute and weaved his way into the crowd, disappearing from sight.

Robin looked for his friends, still in a slight daze over what had happened. He finally spotted them sitting at a table with refreshments.

"Hey guys," he said as nonchalantly as he could. He sat next to Beast Boy and took a sip from his friend's lemonade.

"Dude, where've you been? And why's your face all red? And why are you drinking from my glass?" Beast Boy tugged the lemonade away and slurped on it possessively.

"Oh… I guess I've just been dancing too much," Robin said hurriedly.

"Or maybe you've just been dancing with someone!" Cyborg grinned and leaned across the table. Robin leaned away warily. "Come on, who was she?" Cyborg asked, an evil glint in his eye.

"It was not a girl," Starfire interjected, "I saw a boy take Robin by the arm and lead him away. I could not find them in the crowd."

Beast Boy made a face. "Ewwwww! You danced with a guy!?"

Now Cyborg was wiggling his eyebrows as well as grinning. The whole combination was just creepy. "Wow, Robin! Looks like you attract admirers from both fields!"

"No, I… I mean I wasn't…"

"I believe that what Robin is trying to say is that a boy may have asked him to dance but he kindly declined. Is that correct, Robin?" Starfire asked.

"Yeah," Robin said lamely. He spent the rest of the evening dancing with Starfire. Red X had just ruined the night for him, but damned if he was going to let his friends worry over him too!

He just hoped that this ridiculous episode would be over soon…

* * *

**OK, I need to find some motivation to write up chapters faster! I can't take these half-year breaks in between chapters anymore! Thank you all for being so patient and I'm sorry for making you wait. Thanks all and have a great summer!**


	5. Encounters of the Evil Kind

**Well, this chapter came out sooner than I expected. I was just so inspired after having finished Chapter 4 that I started writing a new one right away. Sweetness! Anyway, this chapter consists of Slade's appearance and more Red X groping Robin. Sorry if the plot seems a bit slow here, but things should be picking up in the next chapter.**

**I'd also like to give thanks to Anna Craft for her especially uplifting reviews. :) I read your RedX/Robin fanfic and I enjoyed it, although I never reviewed it. I rarely log on to leave reviews, I'm afraid. Thanks for your support and of course to everyone else!**

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Chapter 5: Encounters of the Evil Kind

Red X was jumping from roof to roof, like a bouncing flea that couldn't be caught. He finally decided to give his legs a rest and landed on top of a roof with more than ample space for him despite the large Wayne Enterprises sign melded to be displayed to those below.

He leaned against the giant metallic 'W', even though it wasn't exactly a fluffy pillow. Screw it, he was tired and he would lie on a bed of nails if he had to. Red X shifted his neck off his letter-shaped support and cracked it as he re-though that idea. Well, maybe a bed of nails was pushing it – a fluffy bed would be better, draped with curtains to give him privacy.

_Oh yeah, a bed made of nothing but fluff with more pillows than I have fingers and a naked Robin – _

His daydream was interrupted by a creak behind him. Acting on reflex, Red X leaped into the hollow metal 'W' and held onto the sides, making sure to be completely hidden. Who the hell came up on this roof anyway?

"You can get down from there," a smooth and unfamiliar voice spoke. "I'm sure we have much to talk about, Red X."

The thief suppressed a gasp. How did this man know his alias? He was sure he would have recognized the voice… Without another hesitation, he dropped down from his hiding spot and emerged to face the stranger. Just as he thought, the guy was unrecognizable. He wore his own disguise consisting of a metallic suit and an orange mask showing nothing but one eye.

"The costume party was three nights ago," Red X quipped. He didn't voice his next thought of, _and I know __**I**__ wouldn't be caught dead dressed like a cyber mummy_.

The tall man didn't move an inch and for a moment, Red X thought he wasn't actually human, but some creepy statue moved up here, probably because it freaked out the employees inside the building. Well, he didn't blame them.

But the supposed statue spoke again. At least, he was pretty sure the voice was coming muffled from within that mask. And the sudden step forward finally convinced him that no, this wasn't a statue.

"Robin made that suit. But you're not Robin."

Red X was glad he was wearing a mask because his face was unable to betray his emotions then. He had become somber at the mention of Robin. Who was this guy and what did he know of the suit he wore? Of course, he refused to let any of his apprehension show through and haughtily replied with, "Nice guess, Tin Man. You have any other obvious statements you want to share?"

"I would advise you to be polite to the great Slade. Assuming of course that you've heard of me?"

Red X raised an eyebrow despite his action not being visible. "So you're Slade? The big scary bad guy who wants to take over the world and destroy the Titans, yadda yadda…"

Slade chuckled low. His voice did not die at once but faded into a ghostly laughter that put the normally cocky Red X ill at ease. Perhaps it was not a good idea to underestimate this man. After all, if the Titans couldn't get rid of him like they did with all the other villains…

"Perhaps now you'll tell me who you are and why you're following the Titans around?" Slade said, pulling the thief from his thoughts.

Where the hell was he getting all this information? "Shouldn't a guy your age be retiring on a tropical island and sipping on cocktails? Preferably in the farthest part of the Southern Hemisphere."

If Slade noticed his blatant disregard for answering his question, he didn't call him up on it. Instead, the evil mastermind came up with another subject, one he had the feeling would capture the thief's interest.

"Did you know that Robin built that suit so he could obtain my trust in disguise?" Slade's voice did not hide the faint smugness as he closely watched the thief. He had the feeling by the twitch of his hand that he was on the right track. "Oh yes, noble Robin pretended to be a thief in order to lure me. But of course, I already knew who it was. And it led him to become my apprentice… even if only for a short while." He spoke the last phrase darkly.

Red X didn't respond. His mind was working furiously to determine Slade's intent upon reciting his past with the Boy Wonder. _I didn't know Robin had been his apprentice…_

"Unfortunately, getting him back won't be easy. And he would have become so powerful under my tutelage!" Slade eyed the boy before him for a moment before continuing, "Maybe since you so skillfully stole his suit, you have the potential to become my apprentice?"

Red X scoffed. "Sorry, but I work for myself. Pays better," he said.

Slade shook his head slowly as if reprimanding the thief for his decision. "Pity. And here I was thinking you could get whatever you wanted from the Titans as well as help me."

Red X glared underneath his mask, completely forgetting that all facial expressions and altercations made by him were lost to the outside world. "What are you talking about, old man?"

"Isn't that why you're following them, because you're after something? Are you perhaps trying to take something of Robin's again?"

Now Red X was angry. He was not about to let his biggest weakness be pulled out of his nose by some tin-wearing old fart.

"What my plans are have nothing to do with you. Now go back to your secret lair with your world maps and keep on plotting global domination. I've got better things to do."

He turned around and bent his knees, preparing to let them uncoil into a spring over to the next rooftop. But Slade's next words froze his movements.

"Ah, so it is about Robin. What could the little hero have that you would want?"

Red X clenched his fists so tightly that he was afraid he would accidentally trigger a mechanism and blast his own hands apart with his suit. He did not turn around, refusing to let the bastard get to him.

"You know, I was having a nice day until you came along," he said through gritted teeth. "Now I'm going to have to drown in a vat of chocolate to cheer myself up."

"Perhaps I should find Robin myself and ask him if he knows that you're looking for him?"

Red X's heated emotions reacted before his mind could. He whipped around and fired a red shuriken from his palm directly at Slade. The older man easily dodged the weapon by doing a backward flip. He looked back up at the thief and wagged a finger at him slowly as if he were disciplining a young child.

"Temper, thief. I'm beginning to think you're trying to hide something from me."

Red X put his hands on his hips, clearly annoyed by this banter. "Tell you what," he said, "You leave me alone and I promise never to steal anything from you. Not that I'd want to. Find something to wear that doesn't clash, would ya?"

With that, he sprinted and leaped onto the next rooftop, disappearing behind the building's water tower.

Slade watched him go without moving an inch. The grin forming on his face was invisible, although his low laughter gave away his mood to any nearby spectators, which happened to be a pair of pigeons.

"Things have become interesting," he murmured to himself.

* * *

Red X kept on travelling above the bustling life of Jump City, not even thinking about where his feet were taking him. His confrontation with Slade had left him feeling more vulnerable than he had ever felt in years and he was disgusted at himself.

The moment he had mentioned Robin, Red X had been unable to control himself and had rashly attacked Slade without thinking. He let out a long-suffering sigh and finally stopped his rooftop acrobatics. He stood on top of an unknown building with his head in his hands as he tried to stop the raging in his veins.

The kid had a stronger hold over his heart than he had previously thought. That was not a good thing for someone in Red X's profession; he needed to be selfish, to have no weaknesses, so he would have nothing to lose. And with a few simple words, Slade had found the way to his undoing.

_Do all super villains have a degree in psychology or something?_ He wondered wryly.

Another, more worrying thought occurred to him. What if Slade really went after Robin now? He couldn't let the kid be targeted because of his stupid slip-ups. Then not only would he lose all chances with him, but he might also quite literally lose him.

Red X turned around and headed for Titans Tower. He was feeling paranoid and had to check up on the kid.

* * *

Today had been a great day, Robin thought as he lay on his bed for a rest. No evidence of criminal activity for once, and if there were, it had apparently been enough for the local authorities to handle. The gang had opted for a day in at the tower and had spent it having an all-genres movie marathon.

Robin still had chuckles whenever he remembered how Starfire had screamed and hid behind the couch when the action movie star on screen had dramatically declared that the device in his hand was about to blow up the whole world. She still had a tendency to think that whatever happened on TV wasn't completely fictional.

Then of course, there was the obligatory romance movie. That had put stars in the Tamaranian's eyes and had left Raven feeling ill while the guys pretended to gag. Robin had noticed the furtive glances Starfire had given his way during the ultra gooey moments, but pretended not to see them.

He was unsure where he and Starfire now stood in terms of… well, whatever it was that was supposed to be happening between them. She clearly showed more interest in him than that of a mere friend, and Cyborg and Beast Boy had been quick to pushing him to make a move. However, Robin had never felt the need to do so, thinking he would take his time and see where it would lead him and Starfire. On her part, she had never made a move either. Were they both simply too shy to talk about this nameless spark between them?

Robin sighed, his gaze never leaving the ceiling of his bedroom. His fingers that were linked underneath his head were numb, but he didn't move them. He was too busy brooding over the fact that relationships just had to be complicated. Well surely his feelings wouldn't have been so mixed up if a certain dirty _thief _hadn't started playing mind games with him. But if Robin was so certain that his hatred for Red X was strong and his feelings for Starfire were genuine, then why was he so confused? Shouldn't everything be crystal clear to him?

A small thud made the ever-alert hero bound off his bed and turn to his window. He groaned as he saw a certain black-clad, mask-wearing someone stuck to the glass like a fly on a windshield… a fly he very much wanted to swat.

He panicked when he saw the cross on Red X's palms glow and dashed over, practically sliding the glass pane clean off its hinges with the force of his opening.

The thief stared at him as he poked his head outside. "Don't break my window again!" he yelled angrily.

"Thanks for the invitation, kid." Red X slid into Robin's room with all the grace of a feline and took a few steps around to properly admire the room, now that he was here in broad daylight.

He let out an appreciative whistle and said, "Nice pad you got here, kid. I might have to crash here sometime."

"What do you want?" Robin growled, ignoring his previous statement.

Red X was silent for a while. Robin began to wonder if he had forgotten the question when the thief spoke up in an unnaturally quiet tone, "Just checking to see if you were OK."

That certainly wasn't the answer he had been expecting. "Why wouldn't I be?" he asked with a frown.

Red X debated whether he should bring up his recent meeting with Slade. But then knowing Robin, he would probably freak out and accuse him of conspiring with his arch-nemesis. He also wanted to ask about the story if him being Slade's apprentice, but he had a feeling that it would be a very unwelcome question, at least for now. He settled with a shrug. "Love makes you paranoid, y'know?"

There it was: the dreaded L word. Robin wished he were one of those people who could control the rising blood to their cheeks, if there were any. He suddenly felt very hot under the collar of his uniform and reacted the only way he knew how: angrily.

"Leave now before I call my friends and have them kick you out in true Titan fashion," he threatened.

Red X leaned forward with a tilt of his head, clearly egging him on. "What's the matter, kid? Can't get rid of me by yourself? Or is it that you don't want to?"

Robin pulled a bird-a-rang from his utility belt and flung it at the thief with a roar. Red X easily dodged it and the weapon flew back into Robin's hand, but he wasn't finished. He jumped over his foe and intended to flatten him with a kick, but Red X slid out of the way and dropped to his knees in a flash, swinging his leg to bring Robin's knees buckling.

With a cry, he fell on the bed and was immediately held down by the weight of another body on top of him.

"Get off me!" he screamed, wishing for the first time that he hadn't soundproofed his room. Where was backup when he needed it?

"It would be a lot more enjoyable for the both of us if you could hold still!" Red X grunted with the effort it took to keep Robin pinned beneath him.

The Boy Wonder struggled with his charge but was unable to pull free as Red X had both his arms pinned above his head and his legs were entangled with the thief's. He was becoming increasingly aware of the hard body rubbing against his own and cursed his straying mind. Red X was obviously enjoying their position and made no attempt to mask his heavy breathing.

That was when Robin realized that he had stopped struggling as much. The domineering streak Red X had, the urge to wrap himself around the slightly smaller boy… Those notions raced through Robin's brain and made his body heat up. Those undeniably masculine traits were things that Starfire evidently lacked, and those same traits made him unwillingly moan in a small voice.

Red X did a little gleeful cheer in his mind when he heard the Boy Wonder moan softly. Of course, how could he remain unaffected with someone as undeniably sexy as himself on top of him? Slowly, he let his leg drift higher between Robin's calves…

"Robin! We wish for you to join us in the playing of video games!" Starfire's cheerful voice called out from behind the door.

Red X jumped off the bed, cursing his bad luck. Robin struggled to adjust himself and hastily flattened his spiky hair backwards. He glanced fearfully at Red X only to find him already gone.

"Coming," he called out weakly to Starfire. He made sure his erratic heartbeat had slowed somewhat before opening the door with shaking fingers.

"Were you asleep?" she asked him.

"No, it's OK."

Starfire peered at him curiously, her smile still in place. Robin stared at her for a moment before looking away. He tried to imagine her fighting him for dominance, wrapping herself around him like a shield… But the images did not seem right. Starfire was too docile, her body too soft, too… feminine.

Robin gulped. His mind was ahead of him once again. Starfire tugged at his arm to lead him to the living room and as he watched the back of her head bobbing happily in front of him, he knew that whatever spark Red X had created, she never would be able to.

* * *

Steel City had been quiet for the past few days. No ultra-villain activity had been detected, giving the Titans East some relaxation.

Sitting at the kitchen's island countertop, Bumblebee listened to Cyborg's ramblings from her laptop. She almost thought his concern was radiating through the screen, slowly affecting her too.

"Anyway, none of us have said anything to him. You know how he is, always keeping his problems to himself."

Bumblebee nodded. "And you're afraid he's lying to you guys again," she said just as Speedy and Aqualad entered the room.

"Well, Robin said he wouldn't do it anymore," Cyborg said uncertainly, rubbing the back of his neck, "But something's definitely bugging him. He's been pretty distracted lately."

"Gee, I wonder why?" Speedy muttered behind them. Bumblebee whipped around and looked at him inquiringly. Speedy stared back before shrugging his shoulders and said, "What? I don't know anything!"

"You sure 'bout that, Arrow boy?" she pressed.

Aqualad came to his boyfriend's rescue. "If Robin's not talking to his own team about it, why would he come to us? I'm pretty sure he'd tell his closest friends first if something was bothering him."

Bumblebee turned back to talk to Cyborg while the two boys sat on the couch.

"Nice going, genius!" Aqualad hissed, "Don't make her suspicious again! We promised Robin we wouldn't tell anyone!"

"Does this mean you're going to make me sleep on the couch?" Speedy dramatically cried.

Aqualad glared at his boyfriend. "You have your own bedroom," he said pointedly.

"But your bed is so much nicer 'cause you're in it!" Speedy replied with a grin.

"Well guess who's banned from my bed for a week now. That'll teach you to keep your mouth shut from now on." Aqualad got up from the couch and went to the fridge, ignoring his suddenly groveling boyfriend.

"Robin owes me big time for keeping his stupid secret!" Speedy muttered to himself as he lay in his own bed alone that night.

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**Nothing else to say here. Good day, folks!**


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